Place: Reviews & Ratings

Reviews by donniecuffs:

4.74/5 rDev +3.7%vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5

The vibe, if anything, is eclectic at this little gem. The jukebox has everything from Pink Floyd to the Pixies to the Stooges, while a picture of 'patron saint' Jack Kerouac surveys the floor, which has a dartboard wedged in the back and a bookshelf filled with boardgames. The scene varies from local college kids trying to look smart, to older, more laid-back beer geeks. The bartenders are both knowledgeable and friendly.The biggest knock on the place is that it is the size of a closet, which is fine in the afternoon, but really annoying on crowded nights. The last visit saw Stone Cali-Belgie and Oaked Arrogant Bastard on tap, in addition to a beer selection that featured some Ballast Point, Allagash, some Lambics, and a cider. Pretty impressive, but I was in fact annoyed by the fact that I payed $5 for only an 8oz glass of the Stone offerings, so I'm more than compelled to say that it was a little pricey. I believe there were approximately 20taps, and each one was impressive. They don't have a kitchen, but there was a friendly young owner of a nearby Italian deli/restaurant that was running back/forth delivering take-out, so the access to good food is certainly there. (1,188 characters)

More User Reviews:

Great neighborhood place in a nice little Business district area of Haledon. Sat at the bar by myself, quiet night. Bartenders were friendly and helpful, let me sample some of NJs finest before deciding. Good draft selection, mainly American craft beers, only one sour. Numerous beers from NJ which is what I wanted to try, as I live out of state. I was impressed by many of the NJ craft beers. I ordered the dinner special. Which was salmon with kale and as I recall (it's been a month) lemon and capers. It was absolutely delicious! They told me the chef had previously worked somewhere fancy. It was just a scrumptious dish, tons of flavor. Some people near me ordered a soft pretzel and it was as big as a dinner plate and looked yummy. This is an excellent place, casual, friendly, excellent beer and service. As a woman traveling alone they made me feel at home and very happy I made the effort to seek this place out. (924 characters)

Stopped in this weekend after hearing good things and I was not disappointed at all. Everything I heard was spot on. Amazing selection of craft beers with no crap taking up valuable taps. Extremly friendly, knowledgeable and helpful staff. Owner came out and we chatted beer for awhile. Good guy. Food was excellent as well. I went on a sat afternoon and it was pretty slow but I'm sure most nights or for a rare tapping it gets crowded. Fairly small so that could be interesting how they handle that. Overall a great experience and I will def be back. Cheers (566 characters)

Visited for the first time after hearing many good things so expectations were high. Place is definitely inconspicuous and mostly just street parking. By just looking you would never think they have about 90 beers on tap. Upon entering you would also say the same thing until you actually look at the bar taps. Hard to believe they can squeeze so much into a tiny space. There are two bars there...a small bar with a pool table and a little more space and then the bigger bar with much less room and a couple small cafe style tables and two booth style tables. Place is dark and blasts pretty terrible music (imo) so the ambiance is reminiscent of a collage town dive bar. When I went (around 8 thirty) it was busy but not at all packed, basically a butt in very seat. Didn't appear there was anyone to greet you or take you to a table, you just fend for yourself. Had to flag someone down several times just to put in an order, so essentially we didn't have a waiter, which would be fine if it was just a bar but it seems they are trying to cross the line into a gastropub. That being said everyone there was very helpful...The service issues seem to be born more out of form than function. The food came out quickly and mine was delicious (pork pouttine) although my friends chicken fajita wrap was a greasy mess.

OK the beer, duh that's what yall care about and same goes for me. Absolutely no complaints...There were a ton of great beers to be had, they all tasted fresh. Nothing crazy limited but the variery alone was fantastic and i know they do tap rarer kegs w some regularity. But there are no craft imatators or macro crap taking up any tap space so thats a huge plus. Very much liked the number of carton and kane beer on tap...represent NJ! Would certainly come back again...maybe when its not so busy so i can actually get a seat at the bar and not have to deal with the awkward waiter setup. All in all it was a pleasant experience. (1,948 characters)

Great spot with an incredible selection. And the food is top-notch. The only negative thing I can say about this bar is that I've ordered several beers that kicked in the middle of my pour. On the bright side, I got those half-full beers for free.

Great place in the burbs right on Belmont ave, where one may not be expecting to come across such a quality establishment to get a quality beer. Love the selection on tap and the shep has everything else you could need without any additional frills. The food is spot on for bar food. Recommended for sure. (305 characters)

This place can certainly be considered Mecca, Eden, Utopia, Narnia, etc., for this area. They have 70 plus craft beers on tap and a menu to accompany the selection. I had been wanting to visit for some time and finally got there last weekend. I will be going back very soon. The selection is ridiculous, the service was on point, and although I only got a simple snack of chicken fingers, it was tasty and from what I could tell the other people in my party enjoyed their food.

As the night went on the crowd changed a bit from a "family like" atmosphere to hipsters, but with William Paterson University up the road I guess that's to be expected. Either way, it didn't take away from the selection of beer. Also, they are constantly changing their taps so I will be back soon to see what is new.

Awesome experience the other night. This is a great place to have a steak and sip on some great craft beers. I saw a decent mix of individuals there that night. Mostly couples and families eating dinner, but as the night grew later the crowd got significantly younger (reminded me of myself in the good old days). I will definitely be back and have already recommended it to several of my co-workers and their wives. Pool table is a plus! If I had to list a negative it would have to be the parking but the good thing is there is plenty of room on the streets parallel to the bar. (580 characters)

Amazing place and great bartenders. Sasha and Joe. Ironically Joe's dad Chris the owner of this amazing bar created the Create your own 6 Pack which makes him a Nobel Laureate plus if you Google him he's got a book the Shepherd and the Knucklehead... Bar was a pre-event stop for a couple of brews and this place does not disappoint. Its 100% Craft Beers of Substance not one of the taps held any poisons like Bud, Coors, etc. Choices included diverse mix of Southern Tier including the Warlock, the last keg of Victory Hop Wallop and their beer of the day was the Ballast Point Habanero Sculpin.

Were I not headed to an event I would have stayed and enjoyed what appeared to be exceptional craft foods in a Gastro pub setting without the pretense.

This is the type of place I might actually make a trip around. They could use a hotel in Haledon within walking distance to make this one of the great craft bars and pubs in the East. I wish them the best as its top tier.